Cognitive strengths in dyslexics make them good explorers: Study

Research conducted by a group of scholars at the University of Cambridge has discovered that individuals with dyslexia are skilled to explore the unknown, and this strength has an evolutionary link contributing to human survival. According to research, this strength has helped individuals to adapt and survive in changing environments. The study explored the cognitive strengths of people with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that causes difficulty in reading due to problems in identifying speech sounds and relating letters and words.

"We believe that the areas of difficulty experienced by people with dyslexia result from a cognitive trade-off between exploration of new information and exploitation of existing knowledge, with the upside being an explorative bias that could explain enhanced abilities observed in certain realms like discovery, invention, and creativity," said the lead author of the study, Dr. Helen Taylor.

Academic institutions, schools, and workplaces do not provide explorative learning. Individuals need to get the openness that helps them to adapt and overcome challenges.

Thus, maintaining a balance between exploring new opportunities and exploiting the benefits of a particular choice becomes the key to adaptation and survival.

"It could also explain why people with dyslexia appear to gravitate towards certain professions that require exploration-related abilities, such as arts, architecture, engineering, and entrepreneurship," she added.

The findings were gathered from the theory of Complementary Cognition, which says that our ancestors evolved through their complementary ways of thinking that helped them adapt to changes through collaboration.